After traveling from a variety of cities across the United States, our modest group of 19 travelers assembled in Rome to begin our quest for Galileo’s Italy, some 400 years after the scientist’s first telescopic observations. For some of us, this is a return trip, as Rome in particular is a place that, once visited, draws you back magnetically. Others looked forward to their first tour of the fabled city.
Editor's note: We've posted more images from Dave's trip in our Online Reader Gallery's "Trips and Tours" gallery. Click on "Italy: Galileo's Tuscan Sky 2009" to see all the pictures.
After getting mostly past jetlag (and for me, suffering with a debilitating cold), we set out on Friday to explore the separate nation within Rome — Vatican City. Particularly for first-time visitors, the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica (pictured at right) is hard to describe without seeing it for yourself. We saw the tombs of Pope John Paul II, the tomb where tradition holds St. Peter’s bones rest, and many other spectacular sights within the church. Michelangelo’s celebrated sculpture Pietá is widely regarded as one of the chief treasures of the building.
The Vatican Museums are also nearly indescribable. The Roman and Renaissance collections are world-class, and standing inside the Sistine Chapel looking upward at Michelangelo’s ceiling is quite stirring.
Last evening I gave a talk about Galileo and his first observations, as well as an overview of his whole life, foreshadowing other places we’ll visit. I will keep you posted with further reports of our trip through the Italian state. Next up is ancient Rome.
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Photo credit: David J. Eicher